Courtesy: Eugene Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center
Here, the Oregon, now a rusted and ruined hulk, sits in Kawasaki, Japan awaiting the final scrapping. It is ironic that the USS Oregon, hero of the Spanish-American War, was re-acquired by the US government for her supposedly precious steel to help the war effort against Japan only to be sold to Japan and scrapped there in 1956.
The Japanese, being an honorable people, did know of the exploits of the ship and paid her honors. A memorial to the ship is just outside the American naval base at Yokosuka, Japan. Additionally, the city of Yokohama donated anchor chain links to the city of Portland. Perhaps her former enemy was kinder than her original owner.
Today, the last of the US battleships sit rusting in the mothball yards. Some, such as the USS Missouri have found their rightful place and will be preserved. But ships like the USS Iowa, USS Wisconsin, and USS New Jersey, still await the final order. They are the last of an era, that will never be seen again. Don't let these famous ships "die" like the USS Oregon.